Strain deepened within the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance ahead of Uttar Pradesh polls, with SP MP Shiv Pal Singh Patel claiming Rahul Gandhi was reluctant to contest from Amethi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Patel, representing Pratapgarh, stated that Gandhi chose Raebareli instead due to fear, and that SP leadership had to persuade him to contest. Patel attributed the Congress's six Lok Sabha wins in Uttar Pradesh to the alliance, arguing that without SP support, the party would have won none. Patel also claimed that Gandhi was ready to give up his seat but was convinced to contest after reassurance from the SP's national president, warning that Akhilesh Yadav would field his own candidate if Gandhi did not run.

Patel further credited the SP for Congress's electoral success, stating that every vote from the Samajwadi Party went to Congress candidates in constituencies allotted under the alliance. He noted that the SP won 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh, while Congress secured six, and argued that the Congress should not demand more than 50 seats in future discussions. Patel also dismissed the Congress's caste strategy, criticising the appointment of a Brahmin as state Congress president and a Muslim as working president, arguing that Dalits had shifted support to the SP due to perceived lack of upliftment under the Congress and BJP.

Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi responded to Patel's remarks, urging the SP to rein in its leaders. Awasthi stated that the SP should ensure its members do not make such statements, as Patel's position as an MP was due to the INDIA bloc. Patel, however, argued that the Congress would suffer more if it contested without the SP's support, claiming that the party would end up with zero seats if it did so. The SP currently holds 101 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, while Congress has two. Patel suggested that the alliance could benefit the SP, but warned that the Congress would face significant losses without it.